Under the Starry Skies
by neverbeenunloved
Summary: The Fellowship have stopped for the night, but the hobbits cannot sleep. Legolas has an idea, and Aragorn is forced into doing something he doesn't want to do.


Under the starry sky, the Fellowship had decided to camp for the night. The hobbits had elected to set up the camp, and the Men had decided to split the night watch. After a barely satisfying dinner consisting of what game Legolas could find in the surroundings, the company began to settle down for the night.

The hobbits lay down their blankets in a small semicircle around the campfire, where they could feel the comfort and warmth of the slowly dying embers. Across from them, the wizard Gandalf wrapped himself in his blanket and leaned on a tree log while smoking his pipe. To his left, Gimli the dwarf had laid down facing away from the fire and covered in his blanket. Legolas had climbed one of the trees surrounding the company and was quite comfortable. Boromir was leaning on a tree, preparing to rest before he had to take the second watch.

Aragorn roamed around, his sharp eyes taking in their surroundings. It was not long before he returned to the tight circle of hobbits around the campfire, where he noticed that not all were asleep.

"Excuse me, Strider," came a whisper. Aragorn smiled fondly and knelt down to be better able to hear the curly head that popped out to identify himself as Meriadoc Brandybuck, or Merry as his personality so described him. "Yes, Merry?"

"Now, we wouldn't mind, really…ordinarily, but here we are after a long day of trudging about and well…"

"What is it, Merry?"

"Well, while you were out patrollin', sir, as it were…the elf was singing, and tis beautiful, aye…but…"

"But we couldn't sleep." Finished the gruff voice of Gimli, son of Gloin. "Not with that infernal elf making all his racket, wailing and all." The dwarf sat up and faced the ranger.

Gandalf and Boromir seemed oblivious to the ongoing argument. That or they simply did not want to be involved.

Aragorn smirked. "Well, we'll have to put a stop to that." Walking over to the base of the tree where Legolas was, he called up into the branches. "_Mellon nÎn, _I believe that not everyone enjoys your…singing."

The golden hair of the elf appeared as he lowered himself into the closest branches to Aragorn, looking almost indignant. "And I suppose you could do better, ranger?"

Aragorn raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Nay, my friend. I was only sent as a diplomat. You see, it seems that the _periannath _have trouble sleeping over the sound of…"

"Can _you _sing, Strider?" asked Pippin. Aragorn looked around to find that the hobbits, dwarf, and even Boromir had decided that they were not going to get any sleep tonight. Not yet, anyway. All were sitting up and looking at him expectantly.

"No, Pippin. I—"

"Oh, forgive the humble Man, Pippin. Aragorn has an extraordinarily beautiful voice. Why, even elves in Imladris would stop whatever they were doing just to listen to him sing!"

At that moment, Aragorn was extremely grateful for the dark of that night. At least nobody would see him blush.

He looked back at his elven friend, who was now currently grinning at him with eyes twinkling. "And what exactly did you expect to gain from this, _gwador nin_?" he whispered through gritted teeth.

"Oh, nothing," answered the elf innocently. "Only a story with which to regale the twin sons of Elrond. Surely you would not expect me to return from this Quest empty-handed!"

Aragorn's eyes widened. Never, in all his life, even if he did become king, would he be able to live this down. "You wouldn't."

Just one glance at his friend confirmed his worst fears. "You would."

Legolas nodded, his devilish grin nearly splitting his face. "Come now, Estel. Your audience is waiting."

Aragorn turned around again to find that the four hobbits would clearly not leave the matter to rest, and Gimli and Boromir seemed just as interested, although they tried not to show it. Gandalf just sat smoking his pipe, his wise eyes twinkling as he awaited the song of the heir of Isildur.

Aragorn sighed. "Very well, little ones. But you must rest immediately after. We have another long walk on the morrow."

Taking a deep breath, the ranger had almost begun, when –

"What will you sing, _mellon nin_?" asked the elf innocently.

Exasperated, Aragorn whipped around to find that the elf was perched on a branch directly beside him, no doubt to better hear and perfectly describe his friend's song.

"Be quiet, you…you Valar-forsaken elf! As to your question, it is a ranger's song. One that we sing on cold nights such as these."

Taking another deep breath, the ranger began. "_Half the world is sleeping, half the world's awake…"_

As his rich baritone carried through the small camp, it seemed that even the trees had leaned in to listen.

"_Half can hear their hearts beat, half just hear them break…"_

The hobbits listened, entranced. Even Boromir and Gimli seemed surprised at this new discovery of their companion's talents, while Gandalf continued smoking his pipe and leaning on his staff, eyes fixed on Aragorn.

Legolas merely sat on his branch, looking at his friend with a soft smile on his face.

"_I am but a traveller, been most everywhere…ask me what you want to know…"_

"_What a journey it has been, and the end is not in sight. But the stars are out tonight, and they're bound to guard my way."_

These words seemed to strike a chord in Frodo, whose hand slowly went up to grasp his burden hidden under the mithril shirt. So small, yet so heavy…

"_When they're shining on my life, I can see a better day. I won't let the darkness in, what a journey it has been..."_

Here Aragorn stopped, as if he did not want to continue. He was leaning against the tree where Legolas sat, eyes fixed on the fire's smouldering embers. Silence reigned amongst the company as the last note faded into the night.

Then suddenly, a clear voice started singing the same tune softly, then growing louder and louder. Aragorn smiled knowingly, and turned his head to look at the elf, who was continuing the melody.

"_I have been to sorrow, I have been to bliss. Where I'll be tomorrow, I can only guess…"_

Aragorn picked up the song again, his deep voice intermixing and mingling beautifully with the elf's hauntingly beautiful one.

"_Through the deepest desert, through the darkest snow. Forward always forward, I go…"_

The hobbits' eyes were drooping by now. Even Boromir had contentedly leaned his head against the tree behind him and looked peacefully content. When Legolas had started singing, Gimli feigned displeasure; but even the dwarf had begun to look drowsy.

"_Forward, always forward. Onward, always every drop of hope –"_

At the word "hope", the elf smiled widely at the ranger, who knew what it meant but did not mean his companion's eyes. A soft, wistful smile played over the ranger's features as he continued to gaze at what was left of the fire.

"_- in my empty a journey it has been."_

The song finished, Aragorn stood erect and began to stretch, readying himself for the half-night's watch. The rest of the Fellowship were all either asleep or sleepy, lulled to drowsiness by the pair's song. Legolas was still perched on his branch, watching Aragorn.

Aragorn walked a few steps away from the circle to look out, his trained eyes scouring the landscape with his hands clasped behind him, his back to the fire. Legolas had made no move to indicate that he too was retiring for the night.

Without turning around, the ranger whispered, "What are _you _smiling about, you cheeky elfling?"

"Elfling!" replied Legolas indignantly, whose sharp ears had heard the whispered words. "I was merely remembering a certain human's voice. It was a welcome every time I visited Imladris." The elf swung to another branch to get closer to his friend, so that his knees were at Aragorn's shoulder level. The two friends looked out at the vast expanse of land yet to be travelled, and the moon shone bright and large.

"Ranger song indeed!" continued the elf. "I seem to remember singing that same song to a four-year-old babe with grey eyes."

Aragorn grinned.

**A/N: I do not own the song "The Journey" by Lea Salonga. Review?**


End file.
